Contrary to popular belief, it is a myth that bottle-formula and breast feeding are equally good. Mother’s milk is superior to any other milk as it has been refined by nature over millions of years to provide everything your baby needs. There are certain components in mother’s milk that help the baby fight illnesses while also promoting growth and development that simply cannot be replicated. Breast fed babies are less prone to illnesses and childhood diseases and frequently show faster growth and better brain development than those fed on store bought formula. The incidence of allergies such as eczema and asthma are also greatly reduced. In addition, breastfeeding is better for mums too, breastfeeding helps your body to recover and loose that excess weight!
If possible, the first feed should be given within a few hours of birth, however this is not always possible for a number of reasons so don’t get unduly worried if this is the case. Avoid giving the baby any pacifiers or water bottles in the early days of breastfeeding as this will confuse the baby.
Don’t try and rush breastfeeding, a baby can take 30 minutes or more on each breast, so make sure you are comfortable and relaxed. You can hold baby sitting upright in a cuddling position, or lying down on your side, whichever feels more comfortable. Make sure when you position baby the gums are on the the top of the areola rather than the nipple itself to reduce soreness.
There are no hard and fast rules about how often or how much you should feed your baby, just let the baby decide when feeding is required. Generally speaking babies will simply release the breast once they have had their fill. READ MORE
In their enthusiasm, it is all to easy for new mothers to wash babies too often and dry the babies sensitive skin. you should bathe the child just 3 times per week but thoroughly clean the nappy area every time you change the baby. For the first 2-3 weeks a sponge bath is recommended, gently clean the baby with lukewarm soapy water and a damp cloth or sponge with the baby laid on a clean towel. Make sure you don’t use a perfumed soap, stick to hypo-allergenic brands.
After the first few weeks baby will be ready for the first bath, use a small basin filled with lukewarm soapy water and place baby in the basin sitting upright, ensuring that the baby’s chest is well above water level. Then gently clean as you did with the sponge bath. You can now wash the baby’s hair once a week taking care to keep soapy water away from the eyes. When washing your baby’s ears, wash the outside only, never be tempted to clean inside the ears with a cotton bud as this can cause damage.
For changing your baby you should make up a pack containing all the essentials, such as nappies; changing tables; baby powder (talcum – non fragranced); rash ointments such as E45; Cotton balls; Baby wipes or cloths; Changing pads and towels.
When it comes to deciding which type of nappies to buy, most mothers choose disposable nappies due the convenience. However re-usable nappies can be a lot cheaper, but will mean you will be almost tied to your washing machine until baby is potty trained. As far as the baby’s health is concerned, there is no difference, it really is a matter of personal choice. To change your baby’s nappy, lay a fresh nappy on the changing table, place the baby on top of the nappy with tummy facing you, then gently unfasten soiled nappy and pull away from baby so that you can wash the genitals and buttocks with baby wipes or cotton balls and dry the area. Apply cream if necessary. The remove old nappy and wrap new nappy fastening tabs securely. Many babies will suffer nappy rash at some point no matter how thoroughly you clean and dry them, do not worry unduly or engage in self recrimination, simply apply rash cream to soothe the area and always ensure you thoroughly wash and dry the affected areas every change. Some mothers like to leave their baby’s without nappies for a while after removing the soiled one to help keep the skin dry and help heal the rash. However, if nappy rash persists for long periods or looks like it may be infected then consult your doctor.
The therapeutic effects of massage on adults have been established for many years, but it is only recently that people have realized that children also benefit enormously from massage techniques. In other parts of the world such as Africa, Asia and South America, women have been massaging their babies for hundreds of years. The practice is now becoming recognized in the West and in the UK today it is even possible to have massage services offered for your baby under the NHS (National Health Service).
Baby massage seems to offer a practical solution to problems with crying, sleeping, feeding and behaviour. Through massaging their babies, first time parents can gain confidence in handling them. Parents who used massage to soothe and calm their babies reported their children seemed happier, calmer, cried less and slept better. In the case of mothers suffering from postnatal depression there is growing research evidence that infant baby massage helps to establish the relationship between them and their babies.
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Nowadays the sheer amount of prenatal testing available along with all the associated information, can seem overwhelming for some couples. However, basically all prenatal testing falls into one of two categories – screening tests or diagnostic tests.
Prenatal screening tests are done for a large number of women in order to identify those who have a higher-than-average risk of giving birth to a child with a serious or life-threatening health problem. Screening tests do not state that there definitely is a problem. Just a higher likelihood that there MAY be a problem.
Diagnostic tests, are specifically designed to determine whether there is, in fact, something wrong with the baby.
It is important to stress that screening tests, due their design, are created to ensure as many potential problems are identified as possible. This means that many pregnant women despite having been identified as at risk of having a problem, find that in fact both mother and baby are perfectly healthy. In some positive screening tests up to 95% of women and their babies are found to be totally healthy! READ MORE
The benefits of exercise during pregnancy are so substantial that even if you were a total couch potato prior to pregnancy it is now time to make an effort.
Prenatal exercise has been shown to
- keep energy levels high
- keeps your pregnancy weight gain within the target range
- help to regulate your blood sugar levels (which may reduce your chances of developing gestational diabetes)
- help to lower your blood pressure, which can reduce your risk of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension
- can prevent or alleviate common problems such as backache, soreness, cramps, and constipation
- helps to regulate your sleep preventing pregnancy insomnia
- helps to prepare your body for the rigours of childbirth, physically fit women have shorter labour times and fewer birth complications
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